With 35 COVID-19 cases being reported from this area alone, Selvapuram has become one of the biggest clusters of the disease in Coimbatore district, which saw 64 fresh cases in total on Monday. Salem and Erode districts reported 40 cases each, followed by the Nilgiris with 26 cases. Tiruppur district saw 16 fresh cases, Dharmapuri 12, Krishnagiri 14 and Namakkal district four.
Of the 35 patients from Selvapuram in Coimbatore city, 34 were from Ayyappa Nagar and one from Thiru Nagar.
The area was sealed and declared a containment zone. Majority of these case were goldsmiths who worked in jewellery manufacturing units at Selvapuram.
Sources said swab samples of at least 200 persons were collected from various places including Ayyappa Nagar and Thiru Nagar.
Though rumours were rife that more than 100 persons tested positive, the Health Department said only 35 tested positive on Monday.
Other patients hailed from places such as B.R. Puram at Peelamedu, Chinniyampalayam, Veerapandi, Ganapathy,, Singanallur, Othakalmandapam, Saravanamapatti, Thondamuthur, Bharathi Nagar at Sulur, Udumalpet Road at Pollachi, Edayar Street at Townhall, K.K. Puthur, Rathinapuri, CMC Colony at Ukkadam, K.G. Street, Nadar Street, Krishna Nagar at Vellalore, Aishwarya Nagar at Vadavalli, PRS Quarters, Periyanaikanpalayam, TNHB Colony at Singanallur, Ganapathy Managar, Ondiputhur, Karumathampatti and TVR Thottam at P.N. Palayam.
On Monday, 40 persons were discharged from the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital.
ESI Hospital sources said that efforts were under way to shift asymptomatic patients to the COVID-19 Care Centre at Codissia Trade Fair Complex.
However, no patient was shifted to the centre till Monday evening.
Bed strength
ESI Hospital had 349 patients under its care as on Monday.
The bed strength at the hospital could be extended to a maximum of 500, according to its authorities.
The care centre was readied in one of the halls of the trade fair complex to accommodate asymptomatic patients and thus admit persons with symptoms and co-morbid conditions to the hospital.
The first COVID-19 death was reported in Dharmapuri with a 52-year-old man succumbing to co-morbidities at the Dharmapuri government medical college hospital on Monday.
The patient from Paapireddypatty, admitted on July 5, died of cardio vascular disease, and hypothyroidism aggravated by COVID-19. He had returned from Assam.
The district reported 12 cases including a 42-year-old man, who attended a wedding, a 55-year-old woman, who took part in a temple puja, and an 8-year-old boy from Chennai.
With 14 persons testing positive in Krishnagiri district, the total number of cases touched 200.
Of the 40 new cases in Salem district, 37 were indigenous.
Two persons came from Chennai and Tirunelveli and one from Andhra Pradesh, health officials said.
Four new cases in Namakkal included a 35-year-old police constable who had travelled to Coimbatore.
Forty new cases were reported in Erode district taking the number of active cases to 200.
Officials said 36 cases were reported in the Corporation limits, including 11 in Periyar Nagar and six in Rajajipuram. One case was reported each at Nambiyur, Perundurai, Kodumudi and Sathyamangalam in the district.
In the Nilgiris district, 26 persons tested positive. With this, the total number of cases touched 150. The district administration said eight of the 26 persons were from other districts and those cases would be added to the respective districts’ tally on Tuesday.
Tiruppur district saw 16 cases, taking the overall tally to 220. The cases comprised four women, 10 men and two boys aged 12 and 16. Health Department sources said 12 out of the 16 cases were from Tiruppur Corporation limits, three from Palladam Block and one from Uthukuli Block.
Store closed
Tiruppur Corporation officials ordered the closure of a departmental store belonging to a popular hypermarket retail chain on Avinashi-Tiruppur Road after a 33-year-old saleswoman of Mettupalayam in the Corporation limits, tested positive.
